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Artemis Temple Essay

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Ancient Ephesus was known across the Greek world for its devotion to the goddess Artemis and for its monumental temple dedicated to her. Greek Artemis was a goddess of virginity, women’s concerns, the hunt and the underworld (1). She was also the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin of Apollo. To her dedication, The Temple of Artemis was built, which is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Iconic Temple of Artemis resides in the ancient city of Ephesus which is now Turkey, was a place made for the worshipers of the goddess. She presided over the transition of a woman from virgin (parthenos) to married woman (gyne) and protected the virginity of those who were unmarried or wished to remain virgins (2). Artemis also …show more content…

There were two rows of columns stretched across the front of the temple, standing about 21 feet apart and extending from the front to the back of the temple at 17 feet apart. The door in the pediment -- along with two windows -- was intended for Artemis' own use (8). Inside the temple was the statue of Artemis herself, which was built from gold, silver, ebony and other stones. The temple brought in merchants, kings, and sightseers, many of donated jewellery and other treasures to Artemis and her temple. Its splendor also attracted many worshipers and pilgrims, strengthening the cult of Artemis (9). Since she was an influential figure, her fame went higher as soon as her temple was built.
The Temple of Artemis was a very famous and attracted visitor from far and near. Its purpose was both a religious institution and market place. The market place itself had small models of the temple and its goddess Artemis for the fellow tourists as souvenirs to take with them. The columns at the front were decorated with intricate sculptures. It was built to honor Artemis as inside the temple was an inner room called the sanctuary that housed a magnificent statue of the goddess. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times, each time it was built more impressively than the time before it. The first time it was destroyed was on the night of July 21, 356 BC, a man named

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